Muslim Students

“Religiosity, Education, and Civic Belonging: Muslim Youth in New York City Public Schools”

Eight out of 10 Muslim high school students surveyed in New York City say their schools are “pretty cool,” and 85 percent say they feel safe in them, according to a study by Louis Cristillo, an education professor at Teachers College, Columbia University.

The professor conducted a telephone survey of 633 Muslim high school students in the city, primarily in public schools. While most said they felt safe in school, 17 percent of students surveyed—most of whom are of either Arab or South Asian heritage—said they had been the object of bigotry at school.

The students complained most about teasing and taunting, such as being told they were “terrorists.”

In addition, the study found that fewer than a third of Muslim students surveyed participate in extracurricular activities at school.

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